Dumping-platform.



S. A. MOREHOUSE. DUMPING PLATFORM. APYLICATION FIl BD AUG. 20, 1908.

Patented May 11, 1909.

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s. A. MOREHOUSE. DUMPING PLATFORM. APPLICATION FILED AUG.20, 1908.

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UNITED sTArns PATENT ornron.

SAMUEL A. MOREHOUSE, OF ASHGROVE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM B.

FORESMAN, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA.

DUMPING-PLATFORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Application filed August 20, 1908. Serial No. 449,418,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. MORE- HOUSE, of Ashgrove, county of Tippecanoe, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Dumping-Platform and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer. to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a dumping platform which is easily controlled.

To that end one feature of the invention consists in providing a brake for use in retarding the dumping movement of the platform so that it will take place slowly.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing a single meansfor releasing the catches that hold the platform horizontal and for actuating the brake. Along with this there is the further feature of invention that provides for the actuation by said single means, first, of said catch releasing mechanism and, subsequently of the brake, so that the brake does not act until the catches are released and the platform starts to tilt.

The full nature of this invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the dumping platform with a wagon thereon ready to be dumped, the dumping position shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a bottom view or section on the line 22 of Fig.1, looking upwardly. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, the parts being in position while the dumping is taking place, that is, after the operation of the parts. Fig. 4 is the same showing the parts as they are partially returned to the normal inoperative )osition. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the rake and a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 2, parts being broken away and showing by full lines the brake actuated and by dotted lines the brake released; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the bottom of the platform showing one catch mechanism. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

The platform is formed of pairs of uprights 10, 11 and 12 that support a stationary platform or structure having on each side a pair of inner longitudinal beams 13 and parallel outer beams 14 spaced therefrom and there are bars 15 extending transversely at each end that are laid upon said longitudinal beams. A beam 16 is secured transversely of said longitudinal beams on the under side.

A dumping platform 20 is mounted upon a rectangular frame formed of the side beams 21 and the end beams 22, see Figs. 2 and 6. The platform is fulcrumed on the rod 23, see Figs. 1 and 2, slightly forward of the middle part of said platform so that the rear end will normally tend to descend.

In operation a wagon 25 is driven upon the platform, as shown in Fig. 1, and the tailgate removed. Blocks 26 are mounted on the platform to engage the rear wheels of the wagon and block the same from rearward movement during the dumping. While the wagon is being driven on the dumping platform and before the dum ing takes place, the platform is maintainer in its horizontal position by a pair of catch mechanisms, one on each side, one of which mechanisms appears in Figs. 6 and 7. There a bolt 30 is slidably mounted in a bracket 31 on the beam 13 and when said bolt is actuated, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, it engages a plate 32 on the beam 21 near the rear end of the plat form and therefore supports the platform from dumping. These bolts 30 are drawn by bell crank levers 35 fulcrumed by pins '36 to the beam 13 on the under side and having an arm 37 pivotally connected with the bolt 30. Said lever holds the bolt normally thrown and in looking position by reason of the spring 38 secured at one end to the beam 14 and at its other end to the extremity of the lever 35. Such extreme end of the lever 35 is held by and operates between a bracket 39 and the beam 14. The two levers 35, one on each side, are actuated by the vertically extending hand lever 40 that is fulcrumed on a crank rod 41 carrying the brackets 42 extending downwardly from the beams 13, see Fig. 2. The cranked ends of the rod 41 are pivotally connected with sliding bars 43 that have in their forward ends longitudinally extending grooves 44 through which pins 45 from the inner side of the outer beam 14 project loosely. The pins 45 serve merely as guides for the bars 43 and the slot 44 has a bend near the middle thereof so that the forward end of the slot is on a lower level than the rearward end and hence there is an inclined shoulder about midway of the slot.. Each bar 43 has a catch 46 adapted to engage thelever 35 and withdraw it against the pull of the s ring 38 and thereby release the bolt 30. W en, however, the catch bars 43 have reached about the middle of their movement,

by the team which will return the Parts to their normal inoperated position.

Wha cla e y inrentio sire to secure by LettersPatentis: i 1. The combination of a dumping plat- ,form,.catches for holding the platform in northe shoulder or bend in the slot 44 elevatesmmal position, a brake mechanism for retardthe catch bars and causes it to disengage the locking means whereupon the bolts 30 spring back but while the bolts 30 are withdrawn the lower end of the platformbegins to descend. The ends of the bolts 30 are beveled on the under side so that when the platform re-ascends it will push the bolts laterally to one side until the platform has gained 'its'horizontal position and passed the bolts 30 when they spring back into locking position.

The brake mechanism consists of a shaft 50 mounted in thebearings 51 on the under side of the forward part of the stationary part of the platform and said shaft carries pinions 52 that engage the segmental racks 53'secured under the forward end of the dumping platform and at their lower ends braced by rods 54 that run to a point about the middle of the platform, see Figs. 1 and 2. The shaft 50 also carries a brake wheel 55, the periphery of which is adapted to be engaged by a brake rod or shoe 56 that is fulcrumed to the stationary )art of the platform at 57 and the free end thereof is pivotally connected with the brake rod 58 that runs back to a hand lever 40, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Therefore, in operation it is seen that when the wagon is in place to be dumped, the catching mechanism is in engaging condition and the brake shoe, or bar 56is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5 removed from the wheel 55. Then the lever 40 is drawn rearwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 toward the position shown in Fig. 4. When it has made about one-half of this movement, the bolts 30 will have been. released as heretofore exlained, and the platform will start to dump. his occurs when the catch bars 43 have moved and immediately thereafter with the further actuation rearward of the lever 40 the brake takes effect. The function of this brake is merely to retard the dumping movement so that the platform will not dump with a bump and dislodge the wagon while it is loaded, but on the other hand will cause the wagon to be gradually tilted and reach its-inclined position and the grain or contents of the wagon be during such tilting move: ment, gradually flowing laterally out and down through the platform. When the wagon is empty the forward part of the wagon canbe drawn downwardly by hand or ing the dumping of the platform, and means for releasing thecatches and actuating the brake mechanism.

2. The combination of a stationary frame,

a dumping platform mounted therein, a segmental rack secured to the platform, a shaft mounted in connection with theframe, a pinion on said shaft meshing with said segmental rack, a brake wheel on said shaft, abrake shoe adapted to engage said brake wheel, and means for actuating the brake shoe, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a dumping platform, a brake mechanism for retarding .the dumping movement thereof, catches for holding the platform in its unoperated position, a hand lever, means extendingfrom the hand lever to the brake mechanismlfor operating it, and means actuated by saidhand lever for releasing the catches.

4. The combination of a dumping platform, a brake mechanism for retarding the dumping movement thereof, catches for holding the platform in its unoperated position, a hand lever, means extending fromthe hand lever to the brake mechanism .for operating it, and. means actuated by said hand lever for releasing said catches before said hand lever actuates the brake mechanism.

5. The combination of a frame, of a dumping platform therein, a brake mechanism for retarding the dumping movement of the platform, a crank rod mounted in connection with the frame, a hand lever secured to the crank rod, a connection between the hand lever and the brake mechanism for actuating it, catches for holding the platform in normal position, levers for controlling said catches, springs acting on said levers to hold the catches in engaging position, bars pivoted to said crank rod and provided with notches to engage said levers and actuate them, and means for guiding the movement of said bars so that they will disengage said levers before the end of the operation ofsaid lever.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

SAMUEL A. MOREHQUSE.

Witnesses EDGAR G. CULLINs, WILL M. CROOKETT 

